Matrix for floor and wall coverings



7 Aug. 29, 1967 J, c. WAITE MATRIX FOR FLOOR AND WALL COVERINGS Filed March 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I/IIIIII'III A Ila " FIG.3.

John C. Waite ATTORNEYS 9, 1967 J. c. WAITE 3,338,014

MATRIX FOR FLOOR AND WALL GOVERINGS Filed March 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L 1 L L L ,4 l m m g a FIG. 4. /"CI j %5 5H 3 4w FIG. 5

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INVENTOR- John C. Waite BY%%WA, tiazf? ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent 3,338,014 MATRIX FOR FLOOR AND WALL COVERINGS John C. Waite, Box 206, Christiansted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands Filed Mar. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 438,643 6 Claims. (Cl. 52-309) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus and process for securing a settable fluid coating material in permanent locking relation to a preformed sub surface wherein a grid of intersecting plastic and upright elements is formed, each of said elements being of greater cross section size at the top than at the bottom thereof thus providing an intermediate diverging space from top to bottom, each of the elements having a lateral flange to lock the grid to a substrate and said divergence locking a top coat over the substrate.

This invention is related in the wider sense to a method and device for surfacing substrates with a permanently anchored topcoat. And to this same end, the present invention is more specifically focused on a means of readily securing a settable fluid coating material in permanent locking relation to a pre-formed sub-surface of the same or similar materials.

Devices and techniques employed heretofore for surfacing substrates are conventionally classed as either monolithic finishes, or preformed hard surfacings. In the case of the former, the simpler and more common of the two finishing methods, a concrete, terrazzo, or other like fluidized coating is poured between and around a series of screeds which have been set on a base at the desired finish plane of the top coat surface. A rough surface ready for finishing is then prepared by passing a straight edge device over the surface of the screeds in order to evenly and uniformly distribute the coating among the various individual sections thereby to obtain a level surface. Last but not least, the screeds themselves must then be pulled and removed from the wet top coat and the space they formerly occupied is then filled with additional surfacing material before the surface may be finally smoothed by trowelling.

Apart from the fact that the monolithic surfacing thus alluded to is a difiicult and tedious technique requiring highly skilled workmen, it is first and foremost fraught with a number of inherent difliculties which serve only to limit its utility. Among the most notable of these is the fact that the top surface material must be of sufficient 'depth and tensile strength to endure and support the loads and stresses of use. But perhaps of even more crucial concern in this regard is the adhesion between the top coat and substrate. In the absence of a certain minimal adhesion, and this is especially true of substrates upon whichcoatings of dissimilar materials have been applied, the top surface tends to crack, craze and peel away from the sub-surface as the result of uneven deformations caused by thermal deviation.

The pre-formed hard surfacing material likewise requires a skilled technique in that the tiles making up the outer surfaces must be accurately embedded, leveled and spaced in the mortar adhesive layer which has been previously applied to a roughened sub-surface. After securely embedding the tile in the bonding layer, it is common practice then to grout or fill the spaces between the tile with other cementiceous materials. Aside from the manual precision required in laying and grouting the tile, coming into play all too frequently is the fact that structural weaknesses and other like conditions similar to those common with respect to monolithic finishes may yet reside in such a tile surface, even if the same has been laid with great care. The causes principally contributing to and blamed for these structural failures have been centered about the bonding layer. Testing procedures, as well as long term use even under the most severe service conditions demonstrate that, for the most part, failures occurred for the reason that either the bonding layer parted from the sub-surface, or else, the tile did not remain securely attached to the adhesive layer.

The development of a sub-surfacing technique which eliminates many of the recited disadvantages inherent in known methods is the ultimate gOal' which has been achieved by the present invention.

The new matrix of the instant invention borrows the advantages of the one layer top coat even though an adhesive intermediate layer is not used. At the same time, and from an aesthetic standpoint, the novel finishes incorporating my new matrix bring out and exhibit a pleasing tile-like appearance characteristic of pre-formed surfacmgs.

In addition to the foregoing features the matrix provided herein exerts a locking action on both sub-surface and top coat, and rigidly anchors the two together without benefit of an adhesive layer. It is this very same locking action which prevents subsequent removal of the embedded matrix and renders it a permanent and reinforcing part of the structure.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved form of matrix which rigidly locks and anchors a settable finishing material onto the substrate of which it is a part.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved matrix of a design and configuration to obviate the need for an adhesive bonding layer between a settable liq-uid coating material and a sub-surface over which the coating is applied.

A still further objective of the present invention is to provide an improved matrix to be used in forming surface finishes which will allow the liquid coating composition to be readily poured in the matrix pattern and directly upon the sub-surface whereby the top surface is for-med at the outer surface of the matrix merely by leveling the coating therein.

Yet a further object of the instant invention is to pro-' vide an improved matrix to be permanently embedded in a surfacing composition and also in the sub-surface upon which it is embedded, thereby to yield a finish having the appearance of inlaid tile.

A still further objective of the present invention is to provide a new and novel matrix which permits formation of plural superimposed coatings and the uniting and joining thereof at a time when each of the materials forming the layers are wet and still uncured to a hardened state.

In a broad aspect of the present invention, there is thus provided an improved matrix which furnishes a practical and economic means of mechanically locking a sub-surface to a dissimilar finishing material thereon.

Reference to the accompanying drawings and the following description thereof will serve to show further advantages and novel constructional features of the matrix design in conjunction with certain coating materials, the result of which is to yield a stronger and sturdier finish displaying a simulated tile surface. In these drawings, wherein like numerals represent like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective vieW of the invention illustrating the general shape of several continuous segments any combination of such shapes.

FIGURE 3 is a partial side view taken through a plural layered structure incorporating my new and novel matrix device in accordance with this invention and illustrating particularly the relation and distribution thereof in and between the several layers;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a plurality of typical matrix sections with the added modification of reinforcing wires or rods joined between the matrix walls to provide yet more surface onto which the surrounding coating ma terial may be united, thus giving added strength and rigidity thereto;

FIGURE 5 is a partial side view taken through a section of matrix showing the position and relative location of such reinforcing wires or rods with respect to the matrix walls;

FIGURE 6 is a partial side view taken transversely through one modification of the new and novel matrix of the present invention to illustrate the open lower ends of the walls thereof which permit flooring compound to be passed between sections of the matrix; and

FIGURE 7 is another partial side view showing the features of FIGURE 6 along with an additional adhesive layer overlying a non-plastic sub-surface and having the feet of the matrix anchored therein.

Referring now more particularly to these several views, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a matrix generally indicated as 1 which comprises grid elements such as 3 and 5, which intersect to form enclosures or compartments 7, the latter being suitable for holding and containing a liquid coating composition therein. The square matrix units here shown are but exemplary of one of many possible patterns, and in practice, the design of the units formed by the grid walls can be varied indefinitely. As an example, the individual units may be rectangular, triangular, irregular, etc., and a sheet of the matrix could be formed to provide At any rate, each of the grids making up the matrix may be divided into a foot portion or base 9 and a connected tapered stem section 11 which is wider at its top portion 11a than at the base portion 11b thereof.

In the preferred form of the invention the flared base portion 9 is of a width or thickness at least equal to the thickness of the top edge of each of the grids intersecting elements 3 or 5, and in my case it may be desirable to pre-form such base or flange element 9 with a thickness somewhat in excess of the thickness of the top edge of each of the intersecting elements 3 and 5.

Insofar as manufacture of these matrix elements be concerned, such can be easily fabricated by conventional molding processes. Of the wide variety of metal and alloys suitable, the basic and primary consideration in choosing a particular metal for the uses hereinafter outlined revolves about the raw material and processing costs thereof. In general, plastics such as poly-vinyl-chloride, methacrylates, and polyesters, have all been found to be readily adaptable for use in these matrix forms and the same, under certain applications, may be more desirable than metals. In certain specialty uses, as exemplified by stair treads, ramps and such other flooring surfaces wherein the matrix may be used to provide a firmer footing, metal may be the more desirable material. However, normally, with flooring and wall coverings, a plastic matrix fulfills all of the structural requirements and has pr-oven, on the whole, much less expensive to manufacture. For ease of fabrication, plastic materials, and particularly the thermal plastic type, have been found to be preferable. This is not only true from a base material standpoint, but it is equally true due to reduced fabrication costs. Notable and outstanding in this regard is the ease in deforming the grid base to enlarge the same as shown by the flared section at 9. The deformation is accomplished, in the case of a plastic grid, simply by the application of heat to a thermo plastic element. The corresponding operations when performed on a metal grid will, on the other hand, of course require high temperature application and some sort of mechanical means to induce the same deformation.

To more fully show the general use to which the matrix is to be put, FIGURE 3 displays the matrix as it would be found in operation; embedded in and between plural superimposed layers of plastic materials. The flared feet 9 of the matrix must be completely covered by or embedded in, the sub-surface 15 (FIGURE 3), in order to lock and prevent an upward movement thereof due to thermal expansion. Overlying this sub-surface is a finish coating 17 which is leveled by the operator so as to be flush with and coincide with the outer or upper surface of the matrix as shown here. The hardened finish layer is then wedged and locked between the slanted or tapered grid walls which inhibit even the slightest upward movement.

FIGURE 3 shows the sub-surface overlying yet another substrate 19 which would be the situation when the matrix coating is to be used on a non-plastic substrate such as wood, concrete slabs, or other similar non-plastic surfaces. In that event, a first plastic sub-surface can be poured to retain and anchor the matrix before application of the outer plastic coating.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, wires 21 as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, are secured to the matrix thereby to provide an additional bond with the surrounding mortar bed. These wires may be attached to the grids by any convenient means; as for example, by a suitable welding operation when the grids are of metal. When thermo-setting plastic wires and grids are used, the job of attachment is made even simpler and may be carried out by a heat deformation technique which consists merely of heating the wires to the melting point of the thermo-setting plastic and bringing them into contact with the base of the grids, in which event the plastic material is caused to flow around the heated wires, and subsequent cooling of the grid and wires causes the plastic to harden around and embed the wires so that the wires are locked securely within the base of the grid. It is also preferable that these wires lie immediately above the' deformed foot of the matrix thereby to lie coincident with and within the interface between the sub-surface and finish coat.

These wires serve a double function: Firstly, they form a continuous reinforcing throughout the subsurface as shown at 15, FIGURE 3; and secondly, they afford an additional lock between the matrix itself and the subsurface 15 to supplement the locking afforded by the flared and deformed base 9. To accomplish these functions, the wires are embedded in the subsurface 15.

Yet another preferred modification of the present invention is illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 wherein'portions of the grid walls 27, adjacent subsurface, are cut away to allow transfer of the liquid finish material between grid segments. A continuous flow of the finish coat under a portion of the matrix is thus permitted to partially at least derive the advantages of a monolithic structure. These FIGURES 6 and 7 expand the application of the matrix, for here such is being used over a non-plastic surface 30. In such instances, an adhesive plastic layer 32 is poured onto the sub-surface to adequately cover and anchor the flared bottom of the matrix before the top coat is applied. Matrixes are customarily dimensioned to meet structural demands which will, of course, vary to suit the operation. An example, perhaps representative of a typical matrix for floor constructions, would be one having a depth from about three-fourths to about one and one-half inches, a grid width at the top outer surface of from about one-eighth to one-fourth inches, and a grid bottom width of from about one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch. Additionally, the size of the individual segments formed by the .grids and the number of segments to a sheet of matrix may likewise be varied in accordance with the demands of the particular project in ques-.

tion.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing that there is provided a device in which the several objects of the invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of the particular use herein outlined.

It is also to be understood that the assembly herein described and as shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as being illustrative only, it being further understood that the scope of the invention is to be limited only by such limitations or definitions as are here present in the several claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a structure of plural superimposed layers formed of hardenable plastic materials and rigidly secured together to prevent cracking, crazing and peeling, an improved matrix-comprisin-g: a plurality of intersecting grid members of synthetic plastic material joined together to form closed matrix segments and adapted to retain coating material therebetween, each of said grid members having walls taper-ing to form a diverging space therebetween from top to bottom thereof and terminating in a narrow edge at said bottom, said edge being integrally connected to a lower outwardly flared portion, said lower portion of each of said grid members being embedded in a hardened subsurface material, said lower flared portion being of a thickness substantially exceeding the thickness of said edge, and an outer finish coat material applied over said sub-surface material, whereby said subsurface and outer finish coat materials are rigidly secured together by said tapered grid members and said flared end portion.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein wire rods are positioned between the grid members immediately above and in the flared portion thereof to provide an additional locking means supplemental to said lower flared portion.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the bottom of the grid members are recessed to provide open communication between said matrix sections and to permit coating materials to flow therebetween when the flared portion is disposed on the substrate.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said lower flared portion is at least as thick in cross-sectional dimension as the thickness of said top of said grid member.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said synthetic plastic material is of the thermo-setting type.

6. The method of applying plural superimposed wall covering materials which will not crack, craze or peel onto a hardened base surface comprising the steps of: forming of synthetic thermo-plastic material a plurality of intersecting grid members having walls tapered from top to bottom toward a narrow edge to form a diverging space therebetween and terminating in an outwardly flared flange, joining said grid members together to form closing matrix segments which maintain said materials therebetween, placing heated wires in contact with said flared flange thereby causing the said flange to flow therearound, applying a first fluid curable substrate onto said base surface, then applying a second fluid and curable top coat over said first substrate to fill the matrix segment whereby said substrate and top coat are joined together and to said matrix segments and said wires, the tapered walls of said segments locking said adjacent substrate and top coat together within the matrix segment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 178,308 6/ 1876 Leathers et a1. 52-314 867,637 10/1907 Bennett 52384 1,041,183 4/ 1914 Wright 948 1,689, 1 64 10/ 1923 Sylvester 94-3 2,203,932 '6/ 1940 Taylor 94-3 2,282,519 5/ 1942 Holmes 52-181 2,852,932 9/1958 Cable 52387 FOREIGN PATENTS 817,015 7/ 1959 Great Britain. 3 82,970 2/ 1964 Switzerland.

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner. I. L. RIDGILL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A STRUCTURE OF PLURAL SUPERIMPOSED LAYERS FORMED OF HARDENABLE PLASTIC MATERIALS AND RIGIDLY SECURED TOGETHER TO PREVENT CRACKING, CRAZING AND PEELING, AN IMPROVED MATRIX COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF INTERSECTING GRID MEMBERS OF SYNTHETIC PLASTIC MATERIAL JOINED TOGETHER TO FORM CLOSED MATRIX SEGMENTS AND ADAPTED TO RETAIN COATING MATERIAL THEREBETWEEN, EACH OF SAID GRID MEMBERS HAVING WALLS TAPERING TO FORM A DIVERGING SPACE THEREBETWEEN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM THEREOF AND TERMINATING IN A NARROW EDGE AT SAID BOTTOM, SAID EDGE BEING INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO A LOWER OUTWARDLY FLARED PORTION, SAID LOWER PORTION OF EACH OF SAID GRID MEMBERS BEING EMBEDDED IN A HARDENED SUBSURFACE MATERIAL, SAID LOWER FLARED PORTION BEING OF A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY EXCEEDING THE THICKNESS OF SAID EDGE, AND AN OUTER FINISH COAT MATERIAL APPLIED OVER SAID SUB-SURFACE MATERIAL, WHEREBY SAID-SUBSURFACE AND OUTER FINISH COAT MATERIALS ARE RIGIDLY SECURED TOGETHER BY SAID TAPERED GRID MEMBERS AND SAID FLARED END PORTION. 